The History of Cam’ron and Mase’s Beef and Their Path to Reconciliation

Harlem rappers Cam'ron and Mase, once basketball teammates and later members of Children of the Corn, reconciled after years of feuding. Their renewed friendship led to unexpected success with a sport

Childhood Bonds and Early Beginnings

Harlem rappers Cam’ron and Mase have experienced a rocky friendship over the years, but their eventual reconciliation led to unexpected success with their own sports talk show. Long before their decades-long feud, Cameron Giles and rapper-turned-pastor Mason Betha were part of the same social circles. Before joining the rap group Children of the Corn—alongside the late Big L, Herb McGruff, the late Bloodshed, Six Figga Digga, and DukeDaGod—the two played basketball together at Manhattan Center High School in East Harlem, New York.

Breaking into the Rap Scene

In 1997, Killa Cam made his debut on BET’s Rap City with the help of Mase. During the interview, Cam’ron mentioned, “I do a lot of writing. I’m not gonna say who I write for.” When pressed for names, Mase responded, “We can’t do that.”

Mase also introduced Cam’ron to The Notorious B.I.G., who then connected him with Lance “Un” Rivera.

The Rise of Cam’ron

In a 1998 MTV interview, Cam’ron recounted how his rap career took off: “I used to go to a junior college in Texas, and when I came back, Mase was like, ‘Yo, you start writing again, and I’ll put you on.’ So I started writing, and he took me over to Notorious B.I.G.’s house. I rapped for Biggie, and he was like, ‘Yo, you’re nice. I want to put you on.’ He called his partner, Un Rivera, and said, ‘I’ve got this kid at my house, and I want to sign him.’ And Un was like, ‘I’ll sign him,’ without even hearing me rap, just because he respected Big’s opinion that much. After Big passed away, Un started a new label, Untertainment, and made me the first artist because Big wanted to sign me. That’s how I got my deal with Untertainment.”

The “Horse & Carriage” Video Controversy

Cam’s debut album Confessions of Fire was released on Rivera’s Untertainment label, with the lead single “Horse & Carriage” featuring Mase. However, Mase demanded $50,000 to appear in the song’s video, so Cam’ron hired a body double to stand in for Mase.

When asked by MTV why Mase wasn’t in the video, Cam’ron explained, “He had some family business to attend to, and family always comes before music.”

Mase’s Departure and Return

In a 1999 interview with Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97, Mase announced his retirement from rap to pursue a career as a pastor. At the time, some speculated that Mase’s move from Harlem to Atlanta and his newfound spirituality were motivated by an ongoing feud with Baby Maine.

When Mase returned to rap five years later with his album Welcome Back, Cam and Jim Jones called him a “fraud” during a call to Hot 97.

The Height of Their Feud

Looking back, Cam admitted that their feud stemmed from his misunderstanding of Mase’s religious transformation. “He went to church. I didn’t understand it at the time because that’s my man, and I was like, where did church come from?” he said on the All the Smoke podcast. “So I started bugging out on him because of that. The whole thing was my fault, just not understanding the path he was on.”

In 2004, Cam’ron and Juelz Santana dissed Mase on “Take Em To Church” from Killa’s Purple Haze album, and in 2006, Cam stated, “I’ll never speak to Mase again.”

The beef resurfaced over a decade later in 2017. During an Instagram Live session, Cam’ron speculated that Mase became a pastor to avoid conflicts: “Mase went wild. He said, ‘They can’t beef with me, they can’t ask me for nothing. I’m gonna throw on the Rev. Run collar and get out of here.’”

That November, Cam reignited the feud with “It’s Killa” on his The Program mixtape. Mase responded with “The Oracle” and elaborated on the stories behind the lyrics via Genius.

The night after Mase’s response, Cam fired back with “Dinner Time,” and the two exchanged words on Instagram.

Steps Toward Reconciliation

The animosity between Mase and Cam’ron continued until August 2022, when Mase appeared on Gillie Da Kid and Wallo’s Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast and expressed regret over their feud.

Later that year, after signing with Death Row Records, Mase was featured in a video posted by his sister, Stason. The footage shows Mase making amends with Cam’ron during a phone call, jokingly asking, “Killa, what’s good? Where’s Mr. Petty at these days?”

Stason recorded the moment, exclaiming, “I DEFINITELY DID NOT SEE THIS COMING but I’m here for it!!!! Y’all gotta stop with this nonsense or I’m swinging on both of y’all!!!”

The Birth of It Is What It Is

In late February 2023, Cam’ron and Mase reunited for an online sports talk show called It Is What It Is, which premiered on YouTube with modest initial recognition.

“Ma$e got me my first record deal ever,” Cam told Good Day New York’s Rosanna Scotto. “Doing this show, creating this show, and having him be a part of it feels like I’m giving back to him for helping me become an entertainer.”

The show went on to achieve viral success and attracted interest from potential buyers, leading to a lucrative $30 million deal with Underdog Fantasy in August 2023. Despite their turbulent past, the journey of Cam’ron and Mase—from childhood friends to rap rivals and ultimately sports co-hosts—demonstrates growth, forgiveness, and entrepreneurial success.